Ramps Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb ramps with greens, washed and patted dry, root ends trimmed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Preparation

Cut the greens off of the ramps.
Dice the bulbs into 1/4-inch pieces.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water next to the stove. Drop the greens into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Lift the greens out of the water with a strainer and plunge them immediately into the ice water. Drain and squeeze dry. If they are still moist, roll them up into a kitchen towel and twist the ends tightly to squeeze out all of the excess moisture.
Coarsely chop the greens and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat.
Add the ramp bulbs, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
Stir together and cook until the bulbs are tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Cool to room temperature.
Place the ramp greens and bulbs in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse a few times to chop them together, then process continuously for 1 minute.
Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Process for 1 more minutes, or until the ramp mixture is very finely chopped.
Add the pine nuts, Parmesan, remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and lemon juice and process until smooth.
Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or lemon juice as needed.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.